Posted: 30 Sep 2010 06:14 PM PDT

LAS VEGAS — A recently released video of Senate candidate Sharron Angle at a 2009 tea party rally shows the Republican declaring that government should not require insurance companies to cover autism or maternity care.

Angle, who supports limited government and opposes the new federal health care law, has slammed government regulation before. But amid calls Wednesday for Angle to apologize for her autism comments, Nevada Democrats are hoping her statements will hurt her credibility in a tight campaign against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

"Sharron Angle's heartless comments, and her refusal to repudiate them and apologize is just further evidence that she's too extreme and dangerous to represent Nevadans in the U.S. Senate," Reid spokesman Kelly Steele said in a written statement.

In the video, Angle rallies against mandates in health insurance policies that she says force people to pay for coverage they don't need.

"They just passed the latest one," Angle said, referring to a Nevada law that requires autism coverage. "Everything they want to throw at us now is covered under 'autism,' so that's a mandate that you have to pay for."

She raised her hands to indicate quotation marks around the word "autism."

"How about maternity leave?" Angle continued. "I'm not going to have any more babies, but I sure get to pay for it on my insurance. So those are the things we want to get rid of."

Angle has not explained her remarks since Democrats began circulating the video last week, and Angle spokesman Jerry Stacy did not answer questions about her comment. He said Reid was trying to divert attention from the federal health care law that Republicans want to repeal.

"Sharron Angle believes that Americans deserve the best medical coverage and treatment, and the real issue continues to be about costly unfunded government mandates forced upon Americans by career politicians like Sen. Harry Reid through unwanted legislation like Obamacare, which will reduce the level of needed care while driving up the cost of health insurance," Stacy said in a statement Wednesday.

It's a new direction from a statement last week after the video came out. Then, the campaign said, "Sharron believes anyone affected with autism deserves the best medical coverage and treatment, and she speaks out against these expensive government mandates which falsely label other symptoms as autism."

Angle's comments in the video echo free market proponents who say government should not tell private insurers what to do.

"The intention may be good but what you are often times going to see is it is going to distort the market," said Andy Matthews, a spokesman for the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a fiscally conservative group in Las Vegas. Matthews is married to an Angle spokeswoman.

But Angle's Democratic critics say her comments touch on a personal, not economic, issue.

More than 30 health care professionals and families grappling with autism held a rally in Las Vegas on Wednesday calling on Angle to apologize.

"Her use of air quotes, to me, suggests she doesn't take it seriously," said Mark Olson, 53, a Reid supporter and the father of an autistic daughter.

Jan Crandy, of the Autism Coalition of Nevada, said many families can't afford treatment unless insurance companies are forced to provide coverage.

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HHS gives 1.87 million towards establishing national Autism resource center - Examiner

Posted: 30 Sep 2010 09:53 AM PDT

U.S Department of Health and Human Services announced today the contribution of $1.87 million to The Arc of the United States, the largest non-profit advocacy organization in the U.S. committed to helping those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The money is intended to go towards a national resource and information center to provide information about Autism and other developmental disabilities.

The new information center will provide families with information and resources in their own communities. There is also the plan to create national networking - including internet-based networking, sponsoring regional events, and assisting community based organizations with training and technical assistance.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius noted about the allotment:

"Autism is a heart-wrenching condition that presents special challenges for many families. We want families to know that we are listening to them, and the release of this grant award, brings us one step closer to providing the resources needed to improve the quality of life for people with ASD and other developmental disabilities."

The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network and Self Advocates Becoming Empowered will partner with The Arc in this initiative. The official name will be: Autism NOW: The National Autism Resource and Information Center.

Commissioner Sharon Lewis of the Administration of Developmental Disabilities shared her enthusiasm for the project:

"People with ASD and other developmental disabilities face significant challenges in accessing the supports they need. This new center will serve to connect people with ASD and their families to services and activities that promote self-determination, independence, and inclusion in the community."

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Many Children Not Receiving Needed Mental Health Services, Study Finds - Street.Com

Posted: 19 Oct 2010 11:46 AM PDT

ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Of nearly 7.4 million children in the United States diagnosed with emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions, a disproportionate number do not get the mental health services they need because they are underinsured, according to a new report released by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The study also finds that boys, adolescents, and children from low-income families are affected by conditions such as depression or Attention Deficit Disorder at higher rates than other children, but that adequate health services for these children remain an unmet need.

The report, "The Mental and Emotional Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007," identified seven emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions: depression, anxiety, Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, conduct disorders, autism spectrum disorders, developmental delay and Tourette Syndrome. Children with these conditions can benefit from a variety of therapies including counseling and medication. "Accessing mental health services has always been a challenge," said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield Ph.D., R.N. "HRSA is committed to ensuring that mental health is fully integrated into primary health care, and we're working diligently to address the challenge of meeting the mental health needs of America's children in vulnerable and underserved communities." Additional findings include:

11.3 percent (nearly 7.4 million) of children in the United States are reported by their parents to have been diagnosed with emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions.
- Nearly two-thirds (65.7 percent) are boys
- More than half (51.1 percent) are between the ages of 12 and 17 years
- Nearly one-quarter (24.8 percent) have family incomes below the Federal poverty level
- One-third of these children have also been diagnosed with a chronic physical condition
29.4 percent of diagnosed children with insurance were reported by their parents to have insurance that did not usually or always meet their needs.
40.3 percent of diagnosed children have more than one emotional, behavioral, or developmental condition.
45.8 percent of children with one or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions also had learning disabilities, compared to 2.7 percent of children without these conditions.

The National Survey of Children's Health is sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Technical appendices at the end of the report present information about the survey methodology, sample and the specific questions that were asked about emotional, behavioral, and developmental conditions. More in-depth information about the survey and its findings can be found at: http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/nsch/07emohealth/index.html. The Health Resources and Services Administration is part of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA is the primary federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov. SOURCE Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Health Autism

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

“Sharron Angle’s health care comments incite autism advocates - Boston Herald” plus 2 more

“Sharron Angle’s health care comments incite autism advocates - Boston Herald” plus 2 more

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